Women who have endured a miscarriage usually have few options for preventative treatment until they miscarry multiple times. This spring, a study at UB is beginning that may offer an alternative treatment.
The study, conducted by the UB Women Health Research Center, will look at the possible benefits of low doses of aspirin in helping women to get pregnant again after their first miscarriage.
Participating in the clinical trials is a UB professor of social and preventative medicine, Jean Wactawski-Wende, Ph.D. She explained the reasoning behind the study by citing examples in studies of heart disease as well as other reproductive studies.
"Aspirin has been shown to be helpful in certain conditions during pregnancy, including preeclampsia," she said, "and so there were many reasons to think aspirin could have a positive effect on both the implantation as well as the course of the pregnancy."
Preeclampsia, according to Wende, is a condition occurring in five percent of pregnancies, characterized by symptoms such as fluid retention, elevated blood pressure and protein found in urine. The condition can result in seizures and preterm delivery.
There have been other studies done on low-dose aspirin in the past according to Wende, particularly in the area of reproductive health. According to her, studies have already shown the benefits of aspirin in treating certain disorders related to pregnancy.
Thrombosis and preeclampsia increase the likelihood of implantation with "in vitro" fertilization. Wende attributed this to aspirin's properties as an anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory.
The study specifically targets women who have had one previous and recent miscarriage.
"We're especially interested in women who have had one previous recent miscarriage, because these women may be at higher risk of having an underlying thrombophelia," Wende said.
She noted that little is known about the causes of a miscarriage, especially in the first occurrence.
"You don't know the first time, and it's very rare that they do any evaluation of that pregnancy, so if you have a first early pregnancy loss, typically women are asked to wait a period of time and then try again," Wende said. "It's not until women experience multiple pregnancy losses that they tend to go for evaluation."
The study is unique because women with one previous miscarriage typically have few options for treatment, due to limited knowledge on the underlying causes.
"This is a group that typically have very little recourse available to them, other than to wait and then try again, so we're assessing whether this low-dose aspirin will be able to improve their likelihood of getting pregnant, but also maintaining that pregnancy through the point of a live birth," she said.
A miscarriage is defined as the failure of a pregnancy before 20 weeks, also called spontaneous abortion. It can occur for various reasons, according to Wende, such as genetic problems in the fetus, problems with implantation, or problems with placental growth.
Another cause Wende explained is disorders in the mother, such as antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. She noted that the causes for miscarriages are mostly unknown.
In the U.S., statistics reveal that of couples trying to become pregnant, 10-15 percent are unable to conceive, while 15-31 percent of pregnancies result in miscarriage. Of the pregnancies lasting longer than 20 weeks, 8-15 percent end in premature birth, which results in later health problems for the infants.
The study will be launched in late spring. The UB Women Health Research Center is located at 65 Farber Hall on the UB South Campus.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
